Tongs.



WM r *M762 M No. 836,594. PATBNTBD Nov. zo, 1906. J. LUNDQUIST. f l

TONGS.

APPLICATION FILED APB.24. 1906.

4 l mman to@ with assen mation.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 20, v1906.

Application filed API-i1 24, 1906. Serial No. 313,470.

Be it known that I, JOHN LUNDQUisT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Duluth,

in the county of St. Louis and State of Ming nesota, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tongs, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to an improvement in tongs particularly designed for carrying blocks of ice or the like.

The 'main object of the present invention is the production of a device of the character described, constructed and arranged to automatically maintain the gripping relation between the tong-levers when the device is suspended under the influence of the supported weight, means being also provided whereby the levers may be held in open or inoperative position at the will ofthe operator.

The invention in its preferred forni of details will be described in the following specification, reference being had particularly to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a pair of tongs supported. in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same. Fig. 3 is a broken rear elevation of the same, the levers being shown held in inoperative position. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a modified form of tongs. Fig. 5 is an edge view of the same.

Referring particularly to the drawings, my improved tongs comprises a handle l, which, as shown, is preferably in the form of a narrow strip of metal of the desired length, for it is to be understood that, if desired, the handle may be of any material and have any sectional for- The upper end of the handle is appropriately bent laterally to rovide a handle proper, as 2, the free termina of which is bent into a hooked form at 3 to provide for suspending the tongs against probability of disengagement.

The tong-levers 3 and 4 are preferably of the usual type, comprising curved blades terminally provided with the usual spurs 5 or other engaging means. The levers are pivotally secured to each other at 6 and projected beyond said pivot in the form of arms 7, which extend from said pivot in practical alinement with the ivot and respective spurs. LinksS are pivotaily connected to the lower end of the handle member 1 and respectively connected to the upper end of the respective arms 7 of the levers. The described arrangej ment of the arms 7 and links 8 provide, in effect, a toggle connection, soA that when the i pivotal point of the links with the handle member is caused to approach the pivotal point of l the tong-levers the engaging points of said levers will be separated, the reverse operation i of the parts causing the said points to approach each other to provide for engaging any material which may be disposed between them.

From the construction described it is obvious that if the device be suspended from the handle 2 the arrangement of the toggle conz nection will cause the connecting points of the levers to be maintained in gripping relation while supporting the device upon the lower ends of the levers, or by exerting a downward pressure upon the handle member 1 said engaging points will be caused to recede from each other or assume the open position.

In order to provide for maintaining the engaging points of the levers in open position while the device is suspended, l provide an operating-bar 9 approximately equal in sectional dimension 'to the handle member 1 and maintained in sliding engagement with said member through the medium of a clip 10, which comprises a U-shaped support embracing the handle member and terminally securedin the ears 11, projecting latterly from the operating-bar, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The lower end of the operating-bar is connected to the pivot 6 of the tong-levers, said bar being formed with a longitudinallyarranged slot 12 to receive the pivot connections of the links 8 with the handle member, whereby to provide an independent movement of the bar relative to said member.

Near the upper end the handle member is provided with a forwardly-projecting ear 13, to which is pivotally secured a friction-lever 14. The lever com rises a handle portion 15 projecting forward y from the handle member, with the free end disposed immediately adjacent the handle 2. Beyond the ear 13 the friction-lever is bent into U form at 16 to embrace the operating-bar 9. ln normal position the handle portion of the lever projects approximately parallel to the handle member 1, while the U-form extension 16 is arranged below and at an angle to the plane of the handle portion 1 5. By this arrangement pressure upon the handle portion 15 to move said hand e portion toward the handle 2 will cause the IOO IIO

projections 16 to frictionally engage the locking-bar 9 and maintain -the same in the then position relative to the handle member.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown a modified form of tongs, in which the handle member 1 7 is terminally connected directly to one of the arms 18 of one of the tong-levers 19, theremaining arm 20 being connected through the medium of a link 21 to the handle member 17 before its communication with the arm 18, so that in this form of device the handle member forms, in effect, one of the links of the toggle connection.

In the operation of the preferred form the engaging points of the levers are separated by the pressure upon the handle member or by a relatively upward movement of said points, which movement causes a corresponding upper movement of the operating-b ar 9. When the engaging points of the levers have been separated a sufficient distance to embrace the article desired to be engaged with the tongs, the handle 15 of the friction-lever is operated to hold the operating-bar in the elevated position, thereby maintaining the tong-levers in separated position. After engaging the desired article the pressure upon the frictional lever is released and the points will, by their weight, return to normal position to force the supported points of the levers into engagement with the article. In lifting the article by the tongs the weight of the article will through the toggle connection tend to force the separated points of the levers into holding engagement with the article, thereby rendering'the gripping of the article practically autematic. 

